Russia has deployed short-range nuclear missiles to the Baltic Sea in a move that has been described as ‘a threat to half of all European countries’.
Dalia Grybauskaite, the President of Lithuania, revealed the permanent deployment of Iskander missiles to port city of Kaliningrad on Monday.
Russia has since hit back, saying it has the right to station weapons wherever it wants on its own territory and this ‘should hardly be cause for anyone to worry’.
Russia has stationed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles, which have an estimated range of 500km (marked), in the Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad
Moscow has not officially confirmed the deployment, though a senior Russian lawmaker acknowledged it.
It has previously stationed the missiles there as part of a temporary deployment.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: ‘[This] is exclusively a sovereign issue for the Russian Federation.
‘Russia has never threatened anyone and is not threatening anyone. Naturally, Russia has this sovereign right (to deploy weapons on its own territory). It should hardly be cause for anyone to worry.’
The Baltic states are already within range of longer-range Russian missiles.
But reports of the Kaliningrad deployment so close to NATO territory are perceived by some alliance members as a threat at a time when tensions are running high.
Last year Russia hosted the Zapad military games – Zapad being Russian for ‘West’ – which were designed to simulate an invasion of Europe.
Moscow also annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014.
‘This again makes the situation even more serious because Iskanders in Kaliningrad means dangers for half of European capitals,’ Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said on Monday.
Dalia Grybauskaite, the President of Lithuania, described the missiles as ‘a threat to half of all European countries’ but Moscow insisted there was ‘hardly cause for anyone to worry’
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said the deployment added fresh impetus to discussions already underway inside NATO about improving the alliance’s capabilities.
‘It means that what we have been talking about – the necessity to discuss strengthening air-defence elements during the NATO summit in July; strengthening the chain of command, to talk about many questions that affect defence of our region and Latvia specifically … – it all has been confirmed by the practical actions of Russia,’ the minister said.
The Kremlin has often said it would place Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad as a riposte to a U.S. missile shield being developed in eastern Europe.
Washington says that shield is designed to counter possible missile attacks by Iran, but Moscow says it is directed against Russia.
A NATO official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: ‘Any deployment close to our borders of missiles that can carry nuclear warheads does not help to lower tensions.
‘In the spirit of transparency, we look forward to hearing more from Russia on this.
‘It is important to determine the exact situation. NATO is alert, we understand the capability, but we also understand that the Russians have been moving equipment in and out of Kaliningrad for a long time.’